DeVan “Dee” Stringham

Former Brookings resident DeVan, “Dee” Stringham, 79, died Dec. 22, 2013, at his home in Washington, Utah, of lung disease.

He was born July 29, 1934, in Upland, Calif., to Minnie Ione Stringham and Briant DeVan Stringham.

He married Lois Wilkins in 1956, and they had two children: JoDee and Steve. They were divorced in 1966.

He married Judy (Draper) Barker in 1968, and Dee acquired two more children: Robert and Krista.

Dee grew up in Monrovia, Calif. and was interested in scouting, sports, hunting and fishing.

He graduated from MAD High School in 1952, and went on to play basketball and to earn a B.A. degree at University of Santa Barbara, in California.

His interest in fishing was a part-time profession — which turned into a full-time profession in 1973 when Dee moved with his family from Balboa Island, Calif. to Brookings. He had purchased a boat that was a salmon troller, and later he got a larger boat which was a troller/crabber. He served on the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission for six years. He learned how to golf one summer on the coast of Northern California — when it was too windy to fish for salmon. He loved golfing as a hobby almost as much as fishing.

Dee “rediscovered” St. George, Utah in about 1998. He visited there as a child many times. Dee and Judy started going there as “rain birds” from their home in Cottage Grove, every winter for about 12 years. They decided to make Washington their main home about three years ago.

He is survived by his wife Judy; daughter JoDee Stringham of Eugene; sons Steve Stringham, of Brookings, Robert Barker of Pasco, Wash.; and daughter Krista Harrison of Eugene. Also surviving are six grandchildren: Brett Barker of Cornelius, Will Stringham of Brookings, Stephanie Stringham of Laguna Niguel, Calif., Grace Harrison of Eugene, Grant Barker of Post Falls, Idaho, and Haley Harrison of Eugene.

There will be a service at noon Saturday, Jan. 4, at the Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in St. George.

A Celebration of Life service will be held in Brookings during Memorial Day weekend. An advance service notice will appear in the Pilot.

The Pilot front page

Get home delivery of the Curry Coastal Pilot in Brookings-Harbor for only $4 a month or $48/year. By mail, subscriptions are $55 a year outside of Curry County. After filling out one simple and secure online form, you could be on your way to learning more about Brookings-Harbor, Curry County and America's Wild Rivers Coast.